classics 30 hellenistic and roman philosophy

what did hellenistic and roman philosophy focus on?

Roman ideals of what it meant to be an important person

what was good about being literate?

- made an ideal roman general

- could move an army

- Argue properly

- Move senate with words

when did philosophy continue to flourish?

•Philosophy continued to flourish at Athens in the century following Aristotle's death in 322 BCE

what were the changes to philosophy?

- there were significant changes:

- many more schools

- focus on new questions

- the implications of Alexander's conquests

• people from non-Greek background were attracted to Athens

what did alexandria become the focus of?

- Alexandria became the focus of scientific research

how were questions asked in philosophy?

Posed questions in new ways

what did the new philosophy become less of?

Became less about understanding reality and more about thinking about how to live a good life and what constituted a good life

- Philosophy becomes more about right/wrong and talked about ethics

what happened to the focus of philosophy?

it narrrowed

in what way did philosophy's focus narrow?

- it became more like modern notions of philosophy

how did the comprehensiveness of philosophy change?

- less comprehensive than the intellectual initiatives of Plato and Aristotle

what did philosophy become?

more systematic

what was uncertain about plato and aristotle?

- it is uncertain that Plato and Aristotle were in fact attempting to produce systems

what was philosophy like as an integrated system?

- Philosophy now was an integrated system for a complete understanding of the world's basic structure and our place in it

how did a persons choice of philosophical views affect them?

-A person's choice of philosophical allegiance would radically affect one's whole outlook on life

what did other scholars believe about philosophy?

- Other scholars believed that what we saw was revolving ideas about things

- Talks about systems (i.e. stoic systems where all the parts hang together in a philosophical way)

how does philosophy become guidelines?

Becomes not just a way of thinking of the world, but a series of guidelines about how you think about the world and how you live your life

what was one of the principal schools focused on?

stoicism

what is stoicism?

- founded by Zeno of Citium, who came to Athens in 313 BCE

-After Zeno the school almost failed, but divergent positions were unified by Chrysippus

-Stoicism had a strong appeal to the Romans

-The philosophical writings of Cicero are extremely important

what is stoicism named after?

- named after the Stoa Poikile ('Painted Porch')

what did stoicism emphasize?

Stoicism emphasized living in accordance with nature, focusing on virtue, reason, and the acceptance of fate.

who saved zenos school?

-Chrysippus

- After Zeno the school almost failed, but divergent positions were unified by Chrysippus

what did chrysippus do for the zeno school of thought?

refined Stoic logic, creating a strong foundation for their arguments and making their philosophy more intellectually robust.

who did stoicism appeal to?

romans

whos philosphical writings are important?

- The philosophical writings of Cicero are extremely important

what is the stoic doctrine?

- Stoics made important contributions in the areas of logic, physics, and ethics

what is stoic physics?

- materialist

- appeal to exceptionless laws — fate

-Fire basic substrate through which things are produced

what does stoic physics show us about philosophers?

- they were mateiralists - Appealed to the laws of physics

- instead of the law of gravity it was the law of fate

- Fundamental element was fire

- Not surprised that heraclitus was talked so much

what is stoic ethics?

- Virtue is sufficient for happiness

-Nothing except virtue is good

-Emotions are always bad

what did they put a stoic ethics philosophers put a heavy emphasis on?

- Put a high emphasis on virtue

- Nothing except virtue is good

- Love makes us do the wrong thing

- Emotions make us do the wrong thing

when was epicurus born?

- 341-270 BCE

what is epicurus best known from?

Best known through Lucretius' Latin poem De rerum natura

- written by Titus Lucretius Carus c. 94-55 BCE

what was the focus of epicurus's doctrine?

- Pleasure

- Atomic theory

- Freedom from fear of the gods

what was really important to philosophers?

- Infinity is really important to them

- The idea wasn't there in the beginning

- Only comes out in atomic theory

what is epicurism?

interested in freeing people from the fear of gods

who founded cynics?

- Founded by Diogenes 'the dog'

-so called because of his shamelessness

-c. 412-324 BCE

is cynics a philosophical view?

•Not really a philosophy, but a way of life

what type of extreme is cynics?

- Extreme primitivism: 'live according to nature'

- Opposition to material possession

what philosophical view is very influential on greek and roman thought?

- cynics

what remains of cynics?

no complete writings survive

what does Diogenes mean?

born as zeus

what did cynics give rise to?

Gave rise to the dog philosophers